Supplements Play Role in Diabetic Health

SARASOTA, Fla.— Diabetics who take dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle program tend to have a better view of their personal health than those who do not supplement their diet, according to a new study conducted by The Lewin Group. In the study, commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA), researchers reviewed data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an annual, nationally representative survey of approximately 7,000 Americans; NHANES data from 1999-2000 and 2001- 2002 was pooled. The aim of the study was to determine whether diabetics who use dietary supplements differ from those who do not on a variety of health and behavioral dimensions. Among the findings:

• Use of dietary supplements is significantly associated with reporting oneself to be in better health than a year ago.
• A majority of diabetics (51.7 percent) perceive their general health condition as fair or poor, compared with non-diabetics, 87.8 percent of whom perceive their general health condition as good, very good or excellent. However, 53.9 percent of diabetics who take multivitamins said their general health was good, very good or excellent.
• Approximately one-third of diabetics (34 percent) take dietary supplements; users are more likely to be older, more highly educated, white, have a higher income and more likely to be insured.
• Diabetics who take supplements generally scored higher on the NHANES Healthy Eating Index and were less likely to be heavy drinkers of alcohol.
• Scientific literature showed promising evidence for several nutritional ingredients, including magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and alpha-lipoic acid.
• Among the popular dietary supplements taken by diabetics were chromium, calcium, folate and omega-3s.

The full report, A Study of Dietary Supplement Use among People with Diabetes, is available online as a .pdf from the DSEA (www.supplementinfo.org).